Research by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor
Carlos Varela Develops “Active Data” System
Thirty lines of computer code might have saved Air France
flight 447, and 228 passengers and crew aboard, from plunging into the Atlantic
Ocean on June 1, 2009, according to new research by Carlos Varela, an associate
professor of computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Varela and
his research group have developed a computer system that detects and corrects
faulty airspeed readings, such as those that contributed to the AF447 crash.
Their approach to detecting errors could be applicable in many systems that
rely on sensor readings.